Landscape Of England Research Articles

An Evaluation of Education Policy in England since 2010 and the Policy Consequences for Small Primary Schools

The fate of small primary schools (pupils aged five–eleven years old) in England is linked to education policy reforms. This paper presents an evaluation of selected education policy reforms in England since 2010 with suggested consequences for small primary schools. The research was undertaken using a qualitative research methodology that employed a document analysis method to create a Policy Document Analysis Frame (PDAF) for the policy evaluation. The implications of the policy reforms for small primary schools were examined through the conceptual lens of Educational Isolation. Educational Isolation identifies the limiting factors of place for a school’s access to the resources required for school improvement. Education policy reform is focused on school improvement. Small primary schools in England are typically located in rural neighbourhoods with sparse populations, resulting in an average of just over 100 pupils per school. The findings suggest that the contextual factors of place and size for small primary schools in England present disadvantages in relation to the selected national education policy reforms. The national funding formula, Multi Academy Trusts (groups of schools independently regulated but centrally funded by the state), and National Standards are the key policy reforms, driven by a neo-liberal ideology, that are suggested to have implications for the future of small schools. Recommendations are offered to the new 2024 Labour government that would support the re-instatement of small primary schools as an integral part of the education landscape in England.

Personal reflections on inclusion

AbstractThe Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) landscape in England is bleak. Since the COVID‐19 pandemic, the number of pupils with SEND has increased. There is a shortage of places available in specialist SEND provision, and many pupils with SEND are being educated in alternative provision settings which arguably do not meet their needs. Mainstream schools are struggling to meet the needs of pupils with increasingly complex needs and there has been a lack of financial investment in specialist support services, resulting in delays to assessments and interventions. Drawing on personal and lived experience, I argue that impairment can be painful and sometimes disabling. I argue that although social model has made a significant difference to the lives of disabled people, its ambition has not been fully realised. Disabled people still experience discrimination within education, housing, employment and in other areas. I argue that impairment is real, painful and disabling and can result in personal struggle. I therefore make the case that people with impairments require additional support as a ‘step up’ to guarantee equality of opportunity. Urgent investment is required in specialist SEND services to ensure that unnecessary struggle is avoided.

Flowering plant communities mediate the effects of habitat composition and configuration on wild pollinator communities

Abstract There is strong evidence that landscape‐scale factors such as habitat diversity, composition and configuration are important drivers of declines in pollinators and pollination services. However, context and species‐specific responses make it challenging to draw general conclusions about the most important components of landscapes that support diverse and abundant pollinator communities. In this study, we took a functional‐traits approach to community assembly and tested the hypothesis that landscape properties act most strongly on pollinators indirectly, through their influence on flowering plant communities. Using plant and pollinator data from 96 landscapes in Britain, we tested the associations between plant and pollinator communities and local environmental factors, such as habitat cover and configuration, using path analysis based on Mantel and partial Mantel statistics. When all pollinators were considered, we found that the environmental factors had stronger links to the composition of flowering plant communities than to the composition of pollinator communities. Further, the flowering plant community was strongly linked to the pollinator community suggesting a mediating role between land use and pollinators. When separating the pollinator community into taxonomic groups, we found the same result for hoverflies, but wild bees were linked to both environmental factors and flowering plants. We further explored these links with structural equation models using the response‐effect trait framework as a guiding principle. We found strong evidence that land‐use composition and configuration influence the trait distribution and functional diversity of the pollinator community via plant community composition. These findings suggest that the indirect effect of land use on pollinators via flowering plants should be considered in informing the design of pollinator friendly landscapes and in future research of the effects of land use and management on wild pollinators. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Net-widening, gap-filling, and shortcut justice: The practice of Community Protection Notices to regulate anti-social behaviour

Since being introduced in 2014, Community Protection Notices (CPNs) have changed the anti-social behaviour (ASB) policy landscape in England and Wales. Using Cohen's (1985) net-widening analogy as an analytical framework, we evidence how CPNs are an example of the creeping criminalisation of sub-criminal behaviours from first-wave to second-wave ASB policy. In doing so, we highlight how frontline policing bodies have lowered the behavioural threshold at which ASB enforcement takes place, demonstrate how CPNs are employed to fill gaps to regulate behaviour not traditionally associated with the criminal justice system, and show how CPNs are escalated to a Criminal Behaviour Order in a way that shortcuts due process and results in disproportionate punishment.

Sinners, Victims, or Survivors? Prostitution in the Moral Landscape of Eighteenth-century England

Sinners, Victims, or Survivors? Prostitution in the Moral Landscape of Eighteenth-century England

P-719 The fertility clinic landscape in England 2012-2017: a study of the impact of clinic size and environment on success rates

Abstract Study question How are fertility clinics in England distributed and has this changed over time? Does clinic size, geography and local deprivation level influence live birth rates? Summary answer A clinic’s size, urban/rural environment and local deprivation level shows no statistically significant impact on a clinic’s live birth rates. What is known already It has been established that children born through assisted reproduction are more likely to have parents from higher socioeconomic groups compared to those conceived through natural conception. However, studies examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and fertility treatment success rates have varied outcomes and occasionally conflicting results. There has so far been little research internationally as to whether geographical, environmental and socioeconomic markers influence fertility treatment outcomes on a national scale. Study design, size, duration Publicly available HFEA data from 2012 to 2017 for all registered clinics in England was accessed. The total number of IVF/ICSI cycles for all age groups and live birth rate per embryo transferred were recorded. 56 clinics (32,091 treatment cycles) were recorded in 2012, rising to 69 clinics (36,638 treatment cycles) in 2017. Clinic postcode was used to determine Rural-Urban Classification and postcode-level and local authority-level deprivation according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Participants/materials, setting, methods Statistical analysis was performed using R Statistical Software and Datawrapper was used to generate map infographics. Clinic size was categorised by the number of IVF/ICSI cycles conducted per year – small (0-499), medium (500-999) and large (>1000). Clinic environment was classified as urban or rural and IMD was used to categorise clinics into deprivation quintiles. Weighted live birth rates were analysed to determine any difference in clinic success based on its size and environment. Main results and the role of chance The majority of clinics conducted between 0-499 IVF/ICSI cycles per year. There was no statistically significant difference in the live birth rate per embryo transferred based on clinic size with an average success rate of 31.8% in small clinics, 33.9% in medium clinics and 32.2% in large clinics (p-value 0.885). A large proportion of clinics were located in London (28-29% of clinics and 34-40% treatment cycles) between 2012 and 2017 despite only ∼16% of the population of England living in London. There were significantly fewer clinics (p-value 0.047) and treatment cycles (p-value <0.001) conducted in rural, compared to urban locations. There was a small, but not statistically significant, increase in success rate in clinics located in the least, compared to most deprived quintile. The difference in average live births/embryo transferred between the most and least deprived quintile across all years studied was 3.8% (31.1% in most deprived vs 34.9% in least deprived, p-value 0.227). There was also no statistical difference between the live birth rates per embryo transferred across the local-authority deprivation quintiles, although there was a trend for slightly higher success rates in the least deprived quintile compared to most deprived quintile. (30.3% compared to 33.9% (p-value 0.211)). Limitations, reasons for caution Clinic postcode only was used, therefore deprivation may not be representative of the whole population it treats. All IVF/ICSI treatments for all age groups were included, but some clinics may treat an older population of patients. Many IVF laboratories have satellite clinics in surrounding areas, whose postcodes were not included. Wider implications of the findings It is reassuring that local environment and deprivation do not significantly impact on clinic success rates. More detailed analysis of individual patient data on a nationwide level is required to understand this further either through access to primary care records or collaboration between clinics. Trial registration number not applicable

Environmental correlates of Whinchat Saxicola rubetra breeding territory retention in a declining upland population

ABSTRACT Capsule In a 461 km2 unenclosed upland landscape in south-west England, long-term breeding Whinchat Saxicola rubetra persistence is more likely in areas characterized by a mixture of Bracken Pteridium aquilinum, ericaceous vegetation, and very low tree densities, situated in steep-sided valleys at mid-altitudes, further from agriculturally improved grassland or arable. Aims To establish the correlates of Whinchat breeding territory retention between 1979 and 2015–2022 in a declining upland population. Methods Historical Whinchat territories (identified in 1979) were revisited to assess range occupancy, producing a lost (n = 104) and retained (n = 60) sample. Territory retention probability was modelled at local (100 × 100 m) and broad (500 × 500 m) scales against remotely sensed data and field habitat data measured in 2022. Results At the local scale, territory retention probability was greater in steeper valleys, further from arable or agriculturally improved grassland, peaked at five trees per ha in a quadratic response, and where Bracken cover was greater. Bracken cover effects were enhanced when ericaceous vegetation was also present. At the broad scale, retention probability was again greater in steeper valleys, with greater Bracken cover, and at very low tree densities in a quadratic response (but the latter was not important at the bottom of steep-sided valleys). Retention also peaked at around 350–400 m elevation in a quadratic response at the broad scale. Conclusions In this population in south-west England, steep-sided valleys at 350–400 m, with a light scattering of trees, situated further from intensive enclosed farmland are more likely to retain Whinchats long term. Within these areas, a mixed Bracken and ericaceous field-layer should be encouraged, and blanket afforestation avoided, although lower densities of native trees appear to be more tolerated.

Landscape of cancer biomarker testing in England following genomic services reconfiguration: insights from a nationwide pathologist survey

AimsCancer diagnostics have been evolving rapidly. In England, the new National Health Service Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) provides centralised access to genomic testing via seven regional Genomic Laboratory Hubs. The...

The Hagiographical Landscape of Twelfth-Century England

ABSTRACT This article explores hagiographic landscapes as depicted in miracle narratives from twelfth-century England. These stories, which focus on miraculous healing sought by pilgrims at saints’ shrines, often situate their protagonists in locations that, although based on real places, are reimagined for didactic purposes. The article argues that the journeys undertaken by pilgrims in the stories were meant to be read on a metaphorical level and that these re-imagined landscapes functioned to depict the protagonists’ inner journey from sin to salvation.

Rewilding in the British policy landscape. A qualitative analysis of policy documents related to rewilding

ABSTRACT UK parliamentary research recognises rewilding as an opportunity to fulfil national habitat restoration commitments. Nevertheless, there is a current lack of analysis concerning the policy landscape in Britain. To address this gap, we employ qualitative document analysis to assess how rewilding features in national policy documents in Britain. Using a structured search strategy to identify national policy documents from Scotland, England and Wales, we carry out inductive qualitative document analysis to inform a comparative study of the three nations. We find that despite a growing level of public interest in rewilding, and a proliferation of projects, rewilding remains poorly articulated in national policies. Definitional challenges and the impact of controversial rewilding practices influence if and how rewilding terminology features. We examine how different forms of engagement with rewilding at national level reflect divergent policy visions. We consider how the current level of policy engagement may influence the future implementation of rewilding in Britain and propose potential directions for future research in this field.

Virtual schools for care‐experienced learners in Scotland: Reflections on an emerging concept in a new context

AbstractThe ‘virtual school’ is an approach to supporting care‐experienced children and young people in education. The Virtual School Head (VSH) has been a statutory role within the education landscape in England since 2014. In Scotland, where the education, social care and legal systems are distinct from those in England, there has been a recent increase in the number of local authorities utilising this concept. This research aimed to explore the role and remit of Virtual School Head Teachers (VSHTs) in Scotland, and to identify similarities and differences with those of VSHs in England, to uncover learning about the emergence of this concept and role in a new context. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with relevant post‐holders in Scotland, using key concepts from the published literature on virtual schools in England, and analysed these qualitatively to identify themes. We discuss some of the similarities and differences we identified, noting that while the purpose of the role, and the means by which it functions, were largely common to both countries, there were also nuanced differences. Key similarities included the importance of positioning within the local authority, and the development of relationships with social work. Differences were largely underpinned by the educational and legal contexts in which the post‐holders operated, and included control of budgets and specificity of remit. This research contributes to our understanding of the role of the VSHT in Scotland, and identifies some emerging features as the virtual school concept is translated to a new context.

Challenging Patriarchal Dominance: Jessie Burton's The House of Fortune and the Female Protagonist's Quest for Autonomy

This study delved into the societal landscape of 18th-century England portrayed in Jessie Burton's novel, The House of Fortune. It explored the challenges faced by women in a male-dominated society by highlighting a determined 18-year-old woman's journey for autonomy. It employed radical feminist theory to critically evaluate the pervasive male dominance prevalent in that era and called for a comprehensive societal restructuring by eliminating men's superiority. This study used qualitative methods and textual analysis to explore the protagonist's encounters with patriarchal barriers and emphasized the necessity of self-empowerment strategies to counter such dominance. It advocated for women's proactive adoption of self-empowerment strategies to challenge patriarchal oppression effectively. Furthermore, it highlighted the protagonist's success in taking control of her destiny by defying societal norms and prioritizing personal values over societal expectations. This investigation significantly contributed to discussions on female empowerment by showcasing the protagonist's resilience and successful defiance of societal norms, ultimately seizing control over her destiny in an era characterized by patriarchal values. Through her struggles, she transcends societal norms, fulfilling her aspiration to marry for love rather than succumbing to financial motives. This study advocated for women's autonomy and underscored the importance of challenging and dismantling patriarchal systems for individual empowerment and societal advancement.

Gender Dynamics, Social Norms, and Erotic Attitudes in Eighteenth-Century England: A Comparative Study of Anti-Pamela and Fanny Hill

This paper examines two influential novels of the 18th century, Eliza Haywood's Anti-Pamela and John Cleland's Fanny Hill: or, the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, to offer insights into the social norms, gender roles, and erotic attitudes of the time. Through a comparative analysis of the two works, this paper highlights their distinct literary traditions, concerns, and perspectives on the issues of eroticism, virtue, and gender relations. The study finds that while Haywood's Anti-Pamela critiques the excesses of the materialistic and libertine culture of the time, Cleland's Fanny Hill challenges the concept of virtue and decorum by emphasizing the complexities of human erotic desire. The paper argues that the two works offer unique and valuable perspectives on the social and cultural landscape of 18th century England, contributing to the ongoing debates on gender, social inequality, and erotic exploitation. This study provides a better understanding of the literary and cultural history of the 18th century and its relevance to contemporary discussions on the issues of gender and eroticism.

“Robert Frost: The Voice Of Nature’s Whispers”

The aim of present research paper is to explore the prominent role of nature in the poetry of renowned American poet Robert Frost. Frost's poetic repertoire is characterized by a profound appreciation for the natural world, as he skillfully weaves nature's beauty, symbolism, and inherent contradictions into the fabric of his verses. Through a close analysis of select poems, this abstract elucidates the ways in which Frost uses nature as a multifaceted backdrop to convey deeper philosophical themes and reflect on the human experience. Drawing inspiration from the New England landscape, Frost's poetry often portrays the serene, idyllic scenery of rural life while delving into the complexity of human emotions and decisions. The natural world in Frost's poems serves as both a soothing sanctuary and a challenging domain where human struggles and dilemmas unfold. Frost's adept use of metaphors and symbols drawn from nature adds layers of depth and universality to his poetry. His observations of the seasons, weather patterns, and landscapes mirror the intricacies of human emotions, relationships, and the complexities of life itself.

Anglican cathedrals as episcopal theological resource churches for nurturing growth and sustainability

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the case for conceptualising Anglican cathedrals as episcopal theological resource churches for nurturing growth and sustainability. The case is rooted in two sources of empirical evidence: statistical evidence published by the Church of England for the period 2009–2019 show cathedrals to be growing while the rest of the Church is declining; and a series of studies listening to those attending Sunday services and special events explores the motivation and experience of those attending cathedrals. The case is then advanced by exploring three questions that illuminate the distinctive religious and ecclesial identity of Anglican cathedrals within the contemporary spiritual landscape of England that is increasingly characterised by secularity: Why bother with Anglican identity? Why bother with theology? Why bother with bishops? Discussion of these three issues leads to a reasoned response to the fourth question: Why bother with cathedrals?

Landscapes of Hope and Crisis: Dereliction, Environment, and Leisure in Britain during the Long 1970s

AbstractThis article surveys plans that envisioned new leisure uses for derelict landscapes in Britain from about 1966 to 1979. These plans were an attempt to transform areas of Britain in ways that cut across issues ranging from deindustrialization to planning, landscape, environmentalism, industrial heritage, and leisure. The author argues for the importance of the profession of landscape architects in setting the agenda for tackling industrial dereliction. It then shows these issues playing out in three locations: in the Lea Valley, in Stoke-on-Trent, and in Telford New Town. Derelict landscapes were a visual manifestation of the various crises that continue to structure historians’ accounts of the 1970s, but the author shows how the response to the issue was characterized by an almost utopian optimism that these problems could be resolved in a way that would stimulate new forms of living.

Planetary Health—Global Environmental Change and Emerging Infectious Disease: A New Undergraduate Online Asynchronous Course

Will a warmer world be a sicker world? What is it about the New England landscape that supports the proliferation of Lyme disease? How are local wildlife trade and global species invasions contributors to emerging diseases such as the 2003 outbreak of monkey pox virus in the midwestern United States? Undergraduate students explore these and related questions in BIOL 1455 Planetary Health: global environmental change and emerging infectious disease—a new online asynchronous course at Brown University. Planetary health is gaining traction in the curricula of institutions of higher learning and online asynchronous courses offer the promise of scaling up to make grand challenges education accessible to many. In our new course, we assessed student learning outcomes (LOs) and sentiment towards the health of humans and the planet using a mixed-methods approach. Students demonstrated competency in each of the LOs after course completion as measured in a pre–post assessment scored with a standardized rubric. Student sentiment was analyzed with an immersion–crystallization qualitative analysis to elucidate themes in responses to the assessments. Many themes on the pre-assessment focused on barriers and problems associated with the health of humans and the planet, while themes on the post-assessment centered on more solutions-based thinking. Collectively, these findings indicate that this online asynchronous course successfully educated students about the myriad challenges facing human and planetary health, broadened knowledge of environmental changes (beyond climate change) that impact health, formalized understanding of now common terms such as “emerging infectious diseases”, and bolstered hope by offering solutions and peer community (even when virtual). Future efforts to integrate planetary health into higher education should focus on broadly accessible and scalable courses, full programs of study (i.e., majors/scholarly concentrations), and extension into institutional programs focused on ensuring equity and wellness for all.

Where the wild things are: the challenges and opportunities of the unregulated legal services landscape in family law

AbstractThis paper connects two trends in contemporary legal scholarship that do not often intersect, namely commentary on the increasingly diverse nature of family law advice and support services, and calls for a refresh of the regulatory environment in which legal services in general are provided. Focusing on the law and landscape in England and Wales, we argue that regulatory challenges are particularly acute in the field of family law, where the range and reach of services provided by non-lawyers is extraordinary. We illustrate how particular aspects of debates over regulating and diversifying legal services apply to the family law context, noting that such concerns as there are have not always been well targeted. Finally, we identify a sub-set of innovative ‘extra-legal’ services that set private family law even further apart from other sub-fields of law when it comes to regulatory and professional challenge. These services clearly sit inside the landscape of family dispute resolution but equally clearly fall outside the boundaries of what is usually considered ‘legal’. This, we suggest, highlights the need for a concerted effort to define the contours of family law and family legal services so that a holistic approach might be taken to understanding and managing the standards and effectiveness of different service and support types.

Languages in Late Medieval England: The Discourse of the Rise of English and the Decline of French

The primary purpose of this essay is to survey an important aspect of one of the most representative trends in medieval English scholarship upon entering the 21st century. It has come to our attention that the polyglot nature of the linguistic landscape in medieval England should not be understood merely as the co-existence of two or more languages but as truly multilingual actualities. Because of the dominance of the teleological discourse of the “triumph of English” in modern historical writings on the English language and literature, the narratives of the celebrated rise of English in late medieval England have often been accompanied by a narrative of the decline of French. This essay shows instances in which this master narrative is dismantled and also critically introduces works that have productively engaged in the various ramifications of multilingualism as it becomes the keyword in approaching the English and French languages and their literary cultures in the age of Chaucer.

Automation of a National Noise Model

The United Kingdom Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) commissioned the design and build of an environmental noise modelling system (NMS). The NMS has been developed to support Defra in developing its environmental noise evidence base by preparing national road and railway noise models. This paper discusses the automation aspects of the NMS with respect to the various elements required for a noise model. This includes the development of sophisticated data processing engines and the techniques utilised to automate the delivery of a 3-dimensional noise propagation environment, and road and railway noise emissions. It highlights several innovative methods which are now possible due to the data landscape in England and how through open data standards the NMS has the potential to improve the fidelity of national noise models.